The present invention relates generally to a basket lid, and more particularly to, a basket lid that is adapted to securely receive a decorative material without the use of nails, staples, screws, bolts, or adhesives. Basket lids perform a variety of purposes. For example, basket lids are utilized to prevent items from falling out of a basket, to allow easy access to items in a basket, to protect items in a basket from the elements, and to restrict the airflow to items in a basket. In addition to these functional purposes, basket lids are often decorated in order to enhance the aesthetic appeal and marketability of baskets.
A market demand currently exists for fabric-covered basket lids. To meet this demand, known art has used means such as nails, staples, screws, bolts, and adhesives to secure fabrics to basket lids. Although effective for securing fabric to a basket lid, such means typically require costs for parts, tools, and machinery. In addition, such means unnecessarily diminish the aesthetic appeal of basket lids.
In light of the deficiencies of known manufacturing processes, a need exists for a manufacturing process that does not use nails, staples, screws, bolts, or adhesives to secure fabric to a basket lid. A need also exists for a basket lid that has a decorative fabric secured to its top side in a manner that does not diminish the aesthetic appeal of the basket lid. The present invention is designed to address these needs. The present invention is also designed to reduce the cost of fabric-covered basket lids and to allow the fabric to be replaced without defacing the basket lid.
In general, the fabric-covered basket lid of the present invention is comprised of a top side, a bottom side, a channel which separates the top side from the bottom side, and a fabric. The fabric is laid on the top side, and an adequate part of the fabric extends beyond the top side and into channel. The fabric is then secured to the basket lid simply by tucking the part of the fabric into the channel. The contact between the part of the fabric and the channel is sufficient to hold the part of the fabric in the channel without the use of nails, staples, screws, bolts, or adhesives.
The present invention, however, is not limited to a basket lid that is decorated with a single layer of fabric. The material used to decorate the basket lid may be comprised of a single layer or multiple layers. Moreover, any flexible article such as cloth, foam, padding, or plastic may be substituted for the fabric. Similarly, the material may be comprised of layers of flexible articles including, but not limited to, fabrics, cloths, foams, padding, and plastic.